Groundwater Resources of the Boone/St. Joe Aquifer

Geographical Area to Benefit from the Project:

The area to be benefited by the proposed project would include the entire Tri-County Solid Waste District, which comprises extensive Boone/St. Joe formation outcrops.

Type of Project:

Pollution prevention/reduction and Environmental regulatory compliance/technical assistance

Project Description:

A cooperative project between the University of Arkansas Water Resources Center and the Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality will address regional water quality and all potential sources of groundwater quality impact to the Boone/St. Joe aquifer in western Washington County, Arkansas. This regionally important aquifer is a shallow karst system and is susceptible to impact from surface or near surface sources of contamination. Collection of surface and groundwater flow and water quality data from within the proposed regional study area, west of Springdale and east of the Illinois River, will provide reliable data so land use planners can make rational, science-based decisions in this rapidly developing portion of Northwest Arkansas. The purpose of the study will be to gather and evaluate the data on a regular basis.

Expected Environmental Benefits:

The environmental benefit of this project will be the generation of more current data to support the proper establishment of land use planning restrictions and surface water quality standards.